we would have preferred to begin this Rectorate letter with positive news and let the semester come to a close with an easygoing look toward the summer. However, the current political situation is challenging and requires great cohesion, mutual support, and a shared willingness to take political action. The Minister of Finance has announced that universities will face substantial budget cuts.
These announced budget cuts will have a threefold impact. First, they constitute a direct reduction of the universities’ nominal budgets (instead of €16.5 billion for all universities and for a period of three years, there will only be about €15.5 billion). Secondly, the expected inflation (about 2.9% per year) isn't included in the communicated total. Thirdly, additional liabilities (for new infrastructure, etc.) have to be financed from the new budget, which then ends up missing from the universities operating budgets.
At the moment, it's still unclear what exact impact these cuts will have on the academy. However, it's certain that various savings measures cannot be avoided (in course offerings, study support, staff, etc.) if the cuts are enforced as planned. We ask all of you to firmly oppose this clear-cutting of Austria's arts and science sector and to organize and support further protest actions with us.We would like to point out the petition #unisretten. Stay informed and spread the word to others. It's about your and our shared future.
Thank You All for a Successful Academic Year!
Despite the challenges that continue to accompany us, there is much reason for celebration. We look back on a successful academic year marked by a vibrant international environment for study and research, new projects, numerous exhibitions and exhibition participations, awards and distinctions, public events, and academic gatherings. We would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you for your contributions.
As in previous years, we will mark the end of the academic year in several ways. On Tuesday, 23th June, we will open the Parcours exhibition at 4 p.m. Showcasing graduating students’ work across multiple Academy locations, the exhibition presents projects from a wide range of disciplines and departments, offering a unique insight into the diversity of artistic practices and productions at the Academy. We warmly congratulate all graduating students and welcome them as new alumni.
Our annual graduation ceremony, during which we honor this year’s graduates, will take place on Friday, 3 July, at 10:30 a.m. at the Atelierhaus at Lehárgasse. We look forward to seeing many of you there.
We are proud and grateful that the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna has achieved 26th place in the prestigious QS Ranking. For the first time, we are among the world’s Top 50 institutions in Art and Design and are also the highest-ranked German-speaking institution in this category. We owe this achievement to our dedicated staff and students, whose outstanding work has made this recognition possible.
A particular milestone in the Academy’s ongoing development was the groundbreaking ceremony for our major construction project, the Ballonhalle. With this event, the Austrian Federal Real Estate Company (BIG) officially commenced the expansion of the Academy’s new institute building at the Vienna Arsenal. The new construction and extension, designed by Schenker Salvi Weber Architects, will give the new academy building a fitting expression with a distinctive architecture that can be seen from afar.
In May, Let’s Stick with the Unicorns, the fifth edition of Platz nehmen, took place at Schillerplatz. This large-scale artistic intervention examined public space as a concrete ecological and social condition. At its core was the question of how artistic practice can remain capable of meaningful action in times of ecological crisis – a question that will continue to occupy us in the future. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone involved in making this event such a success.
We are also pleased to announce two new appointments. Ulrike Müller will join the Institute of Fine Arts (IBK) as Professor of Art and Image | Figuration from October onward. Eve Tuck will hold a Visiting Professorship in Indigenous Studies at the Institute for Education in the Arts (IKW) during the winter semester. Further information about new members of staff can be found here. We look forward to working together.
Congratulations on Awards and Exhibitions
The achievements of numerous members of the Academy community have recently received special recognition through awards, scholarships, and exhibition participations.
Ashley Hans Scheirl, Senior Professor at the Academy, has been awarded the Grand Art Prize of the State of Salzburg. Her exhibition Petrol M*other is currently on view at Galerie Crone Vienna.
Our publications have also attracted considerable attention. The Most Beautiful Austrian Books 2025 recognizes, among others, Dead Dove Do Not Eat Perpetual Stew (Fine Companions 2) by Saffi Adler, as well as a publication resulting from Almut Schilling’s research project Rotting Sounds.
With the exhibitionLives and Works in Vienna, the Kunsthalle demonstrates the diversity and vitality of Vienna’s contemporary art scene. The exhibition also features numerous works by former students and faculty members of the Academy, including Brishty Alam, Philipp Fleischmann, Parastu Gharabaghi, Birke Gorm, Jojo Gronostay, Benjamin Hirte, Christine & Irene Hohenbüchler, Emma Hummerhielm Carlén, Iman Issa, Belinda Kazeem-Kamiński, Jakob Lena Knebl, James Lewis, Irina Lotarevich, Lazar Lyutakov, Till Megerle, Rini Mitra, Hans Schabus, Anna Schachinger, Ashley Hans Scheirl, Toni Schmale, Nora Schultz, Sophie Thun, Johanna Charlotte Trede, Emily Wardill, and many others.
As part of the project Die Summe der einzelnen Teile, UniCredit Bank Austria, in cooperation with the Academy, is awarding eight support scholarships of EUR 18,000 each to Academy students who are in the final stages of their studies or preparing for their diploma or master’s degree. Further calls for scholarships, competitions, residencies, and other opportunities can be found on our submission system.
Dates and Invitations
Finally, we would like to draw your attention to two upcoming events: The Study Room Tour Artists on the Roadat the Print Room on Wednesday, 24th June 2026, at 4 p.m., and the book launch of Fine Companions 3: Cuaderno de tareas by andrea ancira, Nina Höchtl, and Ana Victoria Jiménez on Tuesday, 30th June 2026, at 6 p.m. Many more events related to the Parcours can be found in our event calendar.
We warmly invite you to visit the exhibitions in the Academy’s Art Collections as well as the various Parcourslocations. Students and staff of the Academy, together with one guest, have free admission to the Academy’s collections and exhibitions.
The next semester begins on Thursday, 1.10.2026. On Monday, 5th October, at 4 p.m., the Semester Welcome will take place in the courtyard at Schillerplatz.
We take great pleasure in perceiving and accompanying the many developments at the Academy. Thank you for your respective contribution to this progress.